Passing over the door sill
one notices the warm
mellow glow radiating
in every nook and crevice -
peaceful and serene -
a haven for the restless mind
giving solace to wary limbs
and emotions ragged from
daily toils . . .
yet, unknown to any
save its possessor lies
the deception beneath
the calm exterior.
For this place, lovingly prepared,
is a prison of deep despair,
a torture chamber for the soul
holding its infinite pains
exquisitely bestowed in
tiny agonies and seering pain
during the dark of night -
for the soul’s time lingers on
to suffer, drowning
in an abyss of abuse
an endless pit of purgatory.
I might welcome you
into the gracious confines
of my home
but you will never witness
the terrors of my heart.